'Friday Night Lights' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Texas forever! Friday Night Lights only aired 76 episodes, but it looms large in the canon of high-school dramas—and for good reason. It had everything: sports, teen romance, a young Michael B. Jordan, Connie Britton’s hair and, of course, Tim Riggins.

Ratings-wise, FNL was never a major hit, but critical acclaim and fan fervor kept it alive amid a writers’ strike and a move from NBC to DirecTV. “The fact that we have existed even for five seasons is such an amazing anomaly, because we are certainly ratings-challenged—as anyone would tell you,” Britton told NPR in 2010. “But we’ve literally been supported by our fans, first and foremost. The critics have been great to us.”

Since the show ended in 2011, fans have held out hope for a reunion or a reboot, but not every FNL alum is on board. Taylor Kitsch, who played the aforementioned Tim Riggins, has repeatedly shut down the idea that he would participate in any sort of revival. “You may see it, but I will not be a part of it,” he told Variety in 2022. “I’m done. I’m good. I want to keep growing as an actor. Going back to Rigs—let him live in everyone else’s memories. Whatever that is, whatever he means to them, let him lay there.”

While Kitsch may not be interested in finding out what Riggins and his gorgeous locks are up to now, he did sign on for a reunion with FNL developer Peter Berg for the 2023 Netflix series Painkiller. Berg wanted Kitsch for the project in part because he had a personal connection to the opioid crisis: his sister Shelby Kitsch-Best has struggled with opioid addiction.

Related: Who Are the Sacklers? A Guide to the Real-Life Family That Inspired Netflix's 'Painkiller'

“That’s where the gold is, when you’ve got an actor who’s that emotionally connected to something,” Berg told The New York Times in August 2023. “I knew he wasn’t going to walk away or break down. It wasn’t going to beat him. He would take that emotion and funnel it into [his character] Glen. It was really a beautiful thing to bear witness to.”

Keep scrolling to see what the cast of Friday Night Lights has been up to since leaving Dillon.

Friday Night Lights Cast: Where Are They Now

Kyle Chandler (Coach Eric Taylor)

After his stellar turn as Coach, Kyle Chandler’s career just kept blossoming. On TV, he earned two Emmy nominations for his role in Netflix’s Bloodline and later appeared in The Mayor of Kingstown and Super Pumped. His lengthy film resume includes The Wolf of Wall Street, Carol, Manchester by the Sea and Godzilla vs. Kong. In 2022, he starred in the Netflix adventure film Slumberland.

Connie Britton (Tami Taylor)

Connie Britton and her awe-inspiring hair have since starred in American Horror Story, Nashville, American Crime Story and Season 1 of The White Lotus. (Britton has been nominated for five Emmys but has never won.) She’s also acted steadily on the big screen, landing roles in Promising Young Woman and Bombshell. In 2023, she reunited with FNL showrunner Jason Katims for the Apple TV+ series Dear Edward, based on the novel by Ann Napolitano.

Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins)

Taylor Kitsch initially followed FNL with a handful of heartthrob turns in films like John Carter and Savages, but he’s since become more of a character actor after taking on roles in smaller, weirder projects. He starred in Season 2 of True Detective, played David Koresh in Waco, and currently appears as Glen Kryger in Netflix’s Painkiller.

Aimee Teegarden (Julie Taylor)

After her stint as Eric and Tami’s daughter Julie, Aimee Teegarden landed roles in The Rookie, The Ranch and Star-Crossed. In 2022, she starred in the film The Road to Galena and the Hallmark movies Autumn in the City and Christmas Class Reunion.

Zach Gilford (Matt Saracen)

Since his turn as unassuming quarterback Matt Saracen, Zach Gilford has racked up roles in TV shows including Good Girls, Midnight Mass and The Midnight Club. In 2023, he is set to star in The Fall of the House of Usher, Mike Flanagan’s loose adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story of the same name for Netflix.

Jesse Plemons (Landry Clarke)

Jesse Plemons has since become one of FNL’s most successful alumni, appearing in Breaking Bad, Fargo and Black Mirror. In 2022, he earned an Oscar nomination for his role in The Power of the Dog, and in 2023, he appeared in the Max miniseries Love & Death. He shares two children with wife Kirsten Dunst, whom he wed in 2022.

Related: Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons Are Relationship AND Career Goals: Inside Their Oscar-Worthy Marriage

Michael B. Jordan (Vince Howard)

Michael B. Jordan didn’t join FNL until Season 4, but he went on to become one of the show’s biggest stars. He’s since played Erik Killmonger in Black Panther and Adonis Creed in Creed and its two sequels, and he earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the TV movie Fahrenheit 451. In 2023, Jordan made his directorial debut with Creed III.

Minka Kelly (Lyla Garrity)

Minka Kelly went on to appear in a ton of TV shows, including Almost Human, Jane the Virgin, The Path and Bull. Since 2022, she has played Samantha on HBO’s Euphoria. In 2023, she published a memoir titled Tell Me Everything.

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Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette)

After wrapping FNL, Adrianne Palicki starred as Bobbi Morse on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and appeared in the first John Wick movie. Since 2017, she has played Commander Kelly Grayson on The Orville.

Scott Porter (Jason Street)

FNL marked Scott Porter’s first major TV role, but his success kept coming after he said goodbye to Dillon. He’s since appeared in Hart of Dixie and Scorpion as well as the underrated 2013 movie The To Do List. He currently voices The Flash on Max’s Harley Quinn animated series and has played Mayor Paul Randolph on Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia since 2021.

Related: All About 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 3

Gaius Charles (Brian “Smash” Williams)

After leaving FNL in Season 3, Gaius Charles moved on to Shondaland as Dr. Shane Ross on Grey’s Anatomy. He also landed roles in Aquarius and Roswell, New Mexico. In June 2023, he debuted as Perlie Armstrong on The Walking Dead: Dead City.

Matt Lauria (Luke Cafferty)

Matt Lauria debuted in Season 4 and went on to star in the movies Miss Bala and 2023’s 80 for Brady. On TV, he’s appeared in Parenthood, Kingdom, Dickinson and Tell Me a Story. Since 2021, Lauria has played Josh Folsom on CSI: Vegas.

Jurnee Smollett (Jess Merriweather)

Like Lauria, Jurnee Smollett joined FNL for the final two seasons. In 2020, she played Dinah Laurel Lance, a.k.a. Black Canary, in Birds of Prey. Her TV credits include True Blood, Underground, and Lovecraft Country.

Next, 'Party of Five' Cast: Where Are They Now?